Locomotive stoker



Nov. 29, 1932. E. A. TURNER LOCOMOTIVE STOKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug- 14. 1928 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Filed Aug. 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N VEN TOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES- PATENT ounce EDWIN ARCHER TURNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD STOKER COMPANY, INCC'RPORATED, A. GORPORATIOH OF DELAWARE noooiuorrvn sroxnn Application filed August 14, 1928; Serial No. 299,494.

The invention relates to locomotive stokers of the type in which the fuel is transferred from the tender and delivered to the locomogive firebox, there to be distributed over the The principal objects of the invention are to increase the locomotiveefliciency and its economy of operation by providing a stoker delivering fuel through the backwall'of' the firebox to a distributing arrangement within the firebox without unnecessarily crushing or pulverizing the fuel; to provide a stoker that will not occupy any space in the locomotive cab, or if any, an unobjectionable amount; to provide a stoker which can be readily and inexpensively installed to existing types. of locomotives and tenders without materially changing their present structure; and to re duce the number of parts and to lighten stokers of the type especially applicable. to locomotives; I

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the. following description, read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal vertical sece tion through thelocomotive and tender with the stoker improvement applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view with portions broken awayand with the firebox shown in the section taken in a horizontal. plane through the firing opening; r

Fig. 3' is an enlarged central vertical section of the fuel distributing means and parts asso ciated therewith, and 1 Fig. l is a section on the line 44 f ure 1. V

The modern locomotive consumes 3,000 to 15,000 pounds of fuel per hour, the cost of which represents one of the largest single items of expense the locomotive operators have. It is, therefore, important infiring a locomotive that the fuel should be delivered to and scattered over the firebed with the least amount of'handling and in the most efficient manner,v in order that the maximum results can be obtained with a minimum amount of fuel delivered to and consumed in the firebox;

In present railroad practice the modern locomotive is massive in size and of necessity provided with numerous labor saving, fuel economizi-ng or power increasing devices, most of which are installed to the rear, of the locomotive adjacent tothe backwall of the firebox or in the locomotive cab; and have materially increased the weight of the locomotive which is of such size that its weight reachesthe limit permissible upon the trailer truck, track supports and bridges. In most instances'said devices or the means of opthe crew toefficiently perform their duties.

Since the stol'rer is one of said devices, it follows that the ,stoher design and construe tion should besuch that it will not occupy any cabspace or very little, if any, and be of light construction. Furthermore, it is important that the stoker' be so constructed as to require few working parts to avoid train delays caused by breakage of said parts and also to reduce the maintenance of the stoker.

' The stoker improvement forming the subject of this application provides for the desirable locomotive operation and stoker construction as pointed out above.

Referring descriptively to the embodiment of the invention, it is illustrated on the drawings as applied to a locomotive engine, generally indicated at A, and a tender, in dicated as a whole at B, which are coupled together for railroad service in. the ordinary manner by a connection C, such application being madefor the purpose of'positively conveyij-ng the fuel bythe direct action of a con veyor' screw D from the fuel bin to the firebox 11 of the. locomotive, through an opening 12 in its backwall 13 to a fuel distributing means E within the .firebox, and from which the fuel is scattered over the grates 14 of the firebox in aerial paths.

7 The locomotive has a. cab 15 which is provided with a floor or deck 16, and the fuel bin 10015 the tenderis equipped with an apertured floor 17 which is, as shown, constructed to receive-a number of slide plates 18, which are well known in the art, for providing a shiftable discharge opening for the fuel.

The conveying screw D may be mounted in any suitable preferred construction of conduit that will permit the screw to perform its function as set forth herein, but as shown and described herewith is thought to be the preferred form of construction.

From the following description it will be seen that the flights of the screw D are continuous and not obstructed by projections such as bearings, at its delivery end or intermediate of its ends, which in past practice has had the efiect of breaking down the lump fuel passing therethrough.

The rear section 19, of the conveyor screw D is-mounted to revolve within a transfer conduit 20 which is fixedly attached in any suitable manner on the tender below the fuel bin fioor 17 thereof, and is adapted to receive fuel by gravity through the opening therein. A crushing member 21 is positioned in the forward end of the trough above the screw for engagement with the large lumps of fuel being advanced by the screw, and is adapted to reduce them to suitable size for delivery to the firebox. The screw D is driven (see Figure 2) from the rear end of the section 19, by gears 22 and 23, these gears being driven by the motor 24 through the shaft section 25 which is connected to the motor shaft by a universal joint 26 and through shaft 27 which is connected to the shaft section 25 by the universal joint 28. In order to reduce the weight on the locomotive it is preferred that the motor 24 be located on the tender and steam supplied to the motor from the locomotive by any suitable flexible pipe connection that will provide for the relative movement between the locomotive and the tender.

At the forward end of the conduit 20 which terminates adjacent the forward end of the tender, is located one section 29, of a hollow ball joint indicated as a whole at 30, the other section 31 thereof being carried by one part of conduit 32 which encloses the front section 33 of the screw D, connected by the universal joint 34 to the rear section 19, and which conveys the fuel to the point of distribution. The conduit 32 comprises the section 35 which carries the ball joint section 31, and the section 36, the two sections 35, 36, being in telescopic engagement and adapted to freely slide, the one within the other. The forward end of the conduit 32, as shown, has formed thereon a hollow ball joint section 37, which if desired may be attached to the con duit in any suitable manner, carried by the lower half of a split ball seat 38 and held in position therein by the upper half or clamp 39, said split seat 38, 39, being securely attached to an apertured plate 40 which forms a partial closure for the firing opening 12 which, as shown, extends above and below the cab floor 16.

The plate 40 may be welded or otherwise securely fastened to the backwall of the firebox in such a position as to form a closure between the opening 12, the cab 15, and the space below the cab deck 16. An opening 41 is provided through the plate adjacent its lower end to permit the conduit 32 to deliver the fuel through the lower portion of the opening 12 in the firebox backwall. The opening 41 of the plate may be termed the stoker firing opening and in most instances willbe located at or below the cab desk 16. An additional opening 42 which may well be called the hand firing opening is provided in the plate 40 above the deck 16, for hand firing of the fuel therethrough or for entrance into or inspection of the firebox. The opening 12 in the backwall of the firebox then becomes a common opening for hand and stoker firing of fuel into the firebox.

The conduit 32 is slightly inclined upwardly from the substantially horizontal rear conduit 19, whereby the fuel is conveyed and elevated by one continuous and substantially straight screw conveyor to the point of distribution. While the conduit 32 is shown as being of circular form, it may, of course, be made D-shape in section or of any non-circular form which will prevent the fuel from rotating with the screw; or the circular conduit, as shown, may be provided with means well known in the art for preventing rotation of the fuel.

The fuel distributing means E is located within the firebox above the grate 14 in close proximity with the backwall 13 and is positioned to receive the fuel delivered through the common opening 12. The distributing means comprises a flat unobstructed plate or table 43 which is of suitable width and length to receive the fuel being delivered to it, and has, as best shown in Fig. 3, at its rear end a raised radially formed distributor head portion 44 cast integral therewith, or said head if desirable may be made a separate part. Steam pipes, as at 45, supply steam under pressure to each of a plurality of pockets 46 in the distributor head from which, by means of a plurality of radially disposed holes 47, a fan shaped blast of steam is spread over the plate 43 for scattering and directing the fuel in aerial paths to all parts of the grate or over the firebed on said grates.

The fuel receiving and distributing plate 43 is protected from the intense heat generated within the firebox by a perforated protecting wall 48 which extends downwardly from the rim of the plate 43 to the grate 14. The wall 48 rests upon the grate 14 and extends about the rim of the plate 43 to the backwall of the firebox to which it is fixedly secured by any suitable means, as shown, by bolts 49 through its flanges 50 and 51 (see Figure 2),

thus forming a downwardly open air chains ber 52.:beneath the plate, The wall 48. is pro vided with vertical openings 53 through which .a supply of air enters the'firebox thus preventing the wall from 'becomingYoverheated, and assisting in the complete combustion of the fuel within the firebox. A number of lugs, as at 54, of uniform height extend upwardly from the top surface 55. of the protecting. wall supporting the fuel receiving and distributing'plate which has a corresponding number of additionalprojecting extensions 56 in alinement with. the lugs 54, and to which the plate is securely held in position by'suitable studs 57. a c f The spacing of the lugs 54' and'bi provides laterally extendingair passages 58, through the top of the wall 48,. directly beneath the plate and through which air from the chamber 52 enters the firebox, thereby coming in direct contact with the-fuel receiving and} distributing plate, thus preventing the same from becoming overheated. V

In the application of this invention to a locomotive, the fuel receiving and distributing plate 43 is located above the grate a minimum height from which the fuel'can be evenly distributed in aerial paths over the firebed under locomotive operating conditions;

In operation the Stoker motor 24 imparts, preferably, continuous motion to the screw conveyor D which receives the fuel by gravity from the fuel bin 10, and conveys it by the direct action'of the screw flights to the lower portion of the common opening 12 where it is freely andloosely discharged on to the fuel receiving'and distributing plate, from which 7 the fuel is directed and scattered over the firebed by a fan shaped blast of steam. If for any reason the stoker' conveyor becomes inoperative, the fuel may be easily hand'fired through the opening 42 on to the fuel receiving and distributing plate 43, which will continue to perform its function of evenly distributing the fuel over the firebed regardless of whether the fuel is mechan'icallyor manually delivered to it.

It will'be-recognized by those familiar with locomotive construction and operation that this invention provides a conveying system free from obstructive angular orzcurved seetions and will. therefore convey: the fuel from the fuel bin to the point of-distribution in an approximately straight line and direct path without exerting any pressure on the fuel that would cause it to be pulverized or unnecessarily crushed after it passes through the crushing zone. In other words, the lump fuel on the tender willbe crushed only to suitable lump size for firing and will be conveyed to a distributing means in such size and weight that it will not readily be caught up by the draft; and to further reduce the possibility of fuel being carried out the stack unconsumed, which is commonly termed stack loss,flthe distributing means is located within the firebox the minimum heightabove' the gratesfrom which the fuel delivered thereto can be scattered over the firebed, under practical conditions, in. aerial paths. From this it will beunderstood that the locomotive efiiciency is increased over that of past practice as more work canv be obtained from the sameamount of fuel delivered to the firebox, and, conversely, the same amount ofwork as obtained in past practice canbe secured by delivering less fuel to the firebox, thus increasing the economy of locomotive operation. f V

I further advantage of this invention is the provision of a stoker which does not obstruct the space within the locomotive cab and one that may be installed on existing types of locomotives. r V

I claim: v 1. In combination, a locomotive having a tender and a firebox provided with an opening in its backwall, gratesfor said firebox, fuel receiving and distributing means wholly within said firebox above the grates thereof and adjacent to its opening in its backwall, a conveying conduit extending from the tender forwardly to the lower portion ofsaid opening to the firebox backwall, and; a screw within said conduit for positively conveying fuel therethrough and discharging the fuel directly and loosely from its forward end onto said fuel receiving and distributing means, said distributing means being independent of and spaced forwardly and apart from-said conduit; 7 V a 2. In combination, a locomotive having a tender and a firebox provided witha firing opening in its backwalh'grates for said firebox, a conveying conduit extending forwardlyl from the tender to the locomotive firebox, said conduit adapted to receive fuel at its rearwardend from said fuel bin and to deliver it to said opening in the firebox backwall, and a fuel distributing means located wholly within the firebox independent of and spaced forwardly and apartfrom said conduit in a position to receive the fuel from said firing opening and to scatter the fuel in aerial paths to all parts of the fire.

3. In combination, with a firebox provided with a firingopening in its backwall, grates for said firebox, a :fuel distributingplate within said firebox above said grates and adapted to receive fuel from said firing opening, a wall extending downwardly from the outward rim of said plateto said grates forming a chamber withthe firebox wall beneath said fuel distributing plate,-said chamber be.- ing open. at its bottom end, and said wall provided with openings at its top immediately below said distributor plate and in commubox will come in direct contact with said fuel distributing plate.

4. In combination, with a firebox provided with a firing opening in its backwall, grates for said firebox, a fuel receiving and distributing plate having an imperforate receiving surface within said firebox above said grates and adapted to receive fuel from said firing opening, a perforated wall extending downwardly from the outward rim of said fuel receiving and distributing plate to said grates forming a chamber with the backwall beneath said plate, said chamber opening at its bottom end, and the said perforated wall provided with lateral perforations through its top portion immediately below said distributor plate whereby the currents of air will be in direct contact with the bottom of said fuel receiving and distributing plate.

5. In combination, with a locomotive havin g a tender with a fuel bin and a firebox provided with a firing opening in its backwall, a feed conduit for transferring fuel from the fuel bin and delivering it to the firebox com prising a rearward conveyor conduit section extending beneath the floor of said tender to receive fuel from the fuel bin, and a forward conduit section inclined upwardly and forwardly from the end of said rear conduit section to, and at its forward end communicating directly with, said firing opening, the said forward conduit section forming a straight passage-way free from bends or angular portions for the unobstructed passage of fuel from the end of the conveyor section into the firing opening, screw means for conveying fuel through said conduit sections including a screw conveyor in said forward conduit section terminating with respect to the forward end of said last named section so that the fuel is positively conveyed therethrough by the direct action of the impelling flights of such screw conveyor, and distributing means within the firebox independent of and spaced forwardly and apart from said feed conduit, said distributing means receiving the fuel passing through said firing opening and distributing it in aerial paths uniformly over all parts of the fire.

6. In a firebox having grates and a backhead provided with a firing opening; a stoker delivering to said opening, the discharge end of said stoker terminating at said opening, a fuel scattering table extending in said firebox and receiving fuel downwardly from said stoker, a wall positioned between the underside of said table and said grates for preventing coal from lodging beneath said table.

7. In a firebox having grates and a backhead provided with a firing opening; a stoker delivering to said opening, the discharge end of said stoker terminating at said opening, a fuel scattering table extending in said firebox, a perforated wall extending downwardly from the underside of said table to a point above the top of said grates, said wall conforming substantially to the shape of the forward edge of said table.

8. In a firebox having grates and a backhead provided with a firing opening; a stoker delivering to said opening, the discharge end i of said stoker terminating at said opening, a fuel scattering table extending in said firebox and receiving fuel from said stoker, a wall positioned between the underside of said 10. In a firebox having grates and a bacln v head provided with a firing OPGIHHQ'; a stoker {f delivering to said opening, the discharge end of said stoker terminating at said opening, a fuel distributing plate positioned forward of the discharge end of said stoker, a cavity in said plate, pipe lines in communication with said cavity, a wall between said plate and said grates for providing a relatively cold air chamber beneath said plate, said pipe lines passing through said cold air chamber.

11. In a firebox having grates and a backhead provided with a firing opening; a stoker delivering to said opening, the discharge end of said stoker terminating at said opening, a scattering table in said firebox having jet openings at the rear thereof, a cavity in communication with said jet openings, pipe lines in communication with said cavity, a wall extending downwardly from the underside of said table to a point above the top of said grates, said pipe lines extending downwardly from said cavity between said wall and said backhead.

12. In a firebox having grates and a backhead provided with a firing openin a stoker delivering to said opening, the discharge end of said stoker terminating at said opening, a plate extending in said firebox and receiving fuel from said stoker, and a wall extending downwardly from the underside of said plate to a point above the top of said grates.

13. In a firebox having grates and a backhead provided with a firing opening; a stoker delivering to said opening, the discharge end of said stoker terminating at said opening, a plate extending in said firebox and receiving fuel from said stoker, a wall extendin downwardly from said plate to a point above the top of said grates, said wall being spaced from said backhead for permitting relatively cold air to be drawn between said wall and said backhead through said grates.

14. In combination, a firebox having grates, a backhead provided with a firing opening, a stoker delivering to said opening, the discharge end of said stoker terminating at said opening, a plate extending in said firebox and receiving fuel from said stoker, a wallextending downwardly from said plate to a point above the top of said grates, fluid jets for'discharging fuel over said firebox, pipes lines leading to said jets, said pipe lines positioned in said firebox between said wall and said backhead.

1 5. In a firebox having grates and a backhead provided with a firing opening; a stoker delivering to said opening, the discharge end of said stoker terminating at said opening, a plate extending in said firebox and receiving fuel from said stoker, a Wall extending downwardly at the forward edge ofsaid plate, said wall being spaced from said backhead for permitting relatively cold air to be drawn between said wall and said backhead.

16. In combination, with a locomotive having a firebox provided with a firing opening in its backwall, a single continuous feed conduit for transferringfuel from a source of supply to said firing opening, said feed conduit at its forward end communicating directly with and delivering fuel endwise into said opening at a point above the normal level of the fire, a screw conveyor in said feed conduit disposed substantially coextensive therewith, the extended axis of the forward end portion of the conduit passing through the firing opening, and distributing means comprising a distributor head and a distributor plate, the latter being located wholly within the firebox and both being independent of and spaced forwardly and apart from said feed conduit and disposed below the forwardly extended axis of the portion of said feed conduit adjacent the firing opening and in a position to receive the fuel directly from said feed conduit through said opening, said distributor head formed, and arranged to discharge a fan-shape pressure fluid blast adjacent the inside surface of the firebox backwall for acting on'the fuel on said plate to uniformly scatter it in aerial paths over allIparts of the fire. a

n testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

E. ARCHER TURNER. 

